The Life I've Chosen
by Totalgeek19
Summary: "Well then, go ahead. Give me your message," she said finally. "I assume it is from my parents and sister. Have they extended their trip?" The messenger lowered his head. "That is just it Princess. Your family never arrived for Princess Rapunzel's wedding." AU story where Anna goes with her parents on their trip and is "lost" at sea. Elsanna ahead, if you don't like don't read.
1. Prologue

Elsa sat in her room, rereading the same sentence in her book over and over again. No matter how hard she tried, the princess just couldn't focus on the novel in front of her. Something had been bothering her all day - a sinking feeling that had latched itself onto her stomach since waking up that morning. For a fleeting moment she considered tracking down her younger sister for support, but the idea was quickly dismissed. Elsa hadn't spoken more than a few words to her sister in the last twelve years, and on top of that Anna had taken the trip to Corona along with their parents.

Elsa sighed, putting the novel down and burying her face in her hands. There was no one she missed more than Anna. Elsa knew exactly how much her isolation had hurt her sister - the younger princess would knock on her door constantly to try and entice Elsa to come out and play. At least, she used to try. In the last few months those little knocks were few and far between, and now Anna was on her first trip abroad. Though Elsa was a bit envious of her sister's opportunity, she was mostly just anxious for her family to return. The loneliness she often felt had gotten worse since their departure a week ago.

Elsa opened her eyes to see a snowflake gently settle on the bed cover. With a pang of guilt the princess folded her arms and quietly recited her manta: conceal, don't feel. In a few moments the gentle snow had stopped, and Elsa rose from her bed. The snowflakes on the floor would quickly turn to water, which needed cleaned up before it ruined the wood.

The first thing Elsa noticed as she walked through the halls was the unnatural quietness. Even with the gates closed and staff reduced, Anna usually managed to find some way to make a commotion and cause trouble. With her gone, the castle had lost its life. Elsa turned the corner into the great hall to find the second strange thing of the day. A messenger, wearing the bright sun crest of Corona, stood with his hat in his hand. Kai stood before him, bowing quickly.

"Please sir, wait here and I'll fetch Princess Elsa."

The sinking feeling in her stomach increased, and with all her willpower Elsa buried her fear and drew herself up to a more imposing stance.

"There's no need Kai. I am right here." She strode toward the messenger, curtsying slightly. "Welcome to Arendelle, good sir. I am Princess Elsa. Please come inside, sit and rest."

The young man bowed low, taking a seat at the large table. "I thank you Princess, but I am afraid I cannot stay. My ship leaves with the coming tide."

"Very well," Elsa said, motioning for Kai. "At least enjoy a drink while you're here." The messenger rose quickly, a pained expression crossing his face.

"Princess Elsa, I'm afraid I must decline. The message I must give you is extremely important."

Elsa blinked, confused by the messenger's insistence. "Well then, go ahead. Give me your message," she said finally. "I assume it is from my parents and sister. Have they extended their trip?"

The messenger lowered his head. "That is just it Princess. Your family never arrived for Princess Rapunzel's wedding."

Elsa's stomach dropped, as did the temperature in the room. "T-they didn't arrive on time?"

The messenger looked up sadly. "They never arrived at all."

The silence was deafening, and with each passing second the temperature continued to drop. The messenger and Kai looked around in confusion, and Elsa knew she needed to be alone.

"I...Thank you for your message," she said hoarsely. "Kai, please escort him to his boat." The messenger bowed once more.

"The entire kingdom of Corona sends its deepest regrets for your loss."

As soon as the two men had left the room, Elsa was running. The pain inside her chest was building, the temperature lowering in the air around her with each second. She reached her room, slammed the door, and let go a blast of ice and snow in an instant before sliding to the ground in tears.

Losing her parents hurt bad enough, but Anna? Elsa curled into herself, sobbing into her sleeves. She would never get the chance to apologize for years of shutting herself away. She would never see her baby sister's face light up a room again. She would never again see her beautiful face at all. Her parents and sister were gone, and with them the chance of once again being a happy family. As Elsa sat in her frozen room, she imagined for a moment that she could once again hear the quiet voice of her sister at the door, and she wept.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey everyone! So I had a lot of positive feedback with the Prologue, so this one was super easy to write. Hope you enjoy! I'll try to update every couple of days or so. Not sure how long this will be - I guess I'll see where Elsa and Anna take us. **

**WARNING: Allusions to sexual assault throughout this chapter - please don't read if it may trigger you. **

**-Totalgeek19**

THREE YEARS LATER:

Queen Elsa sat at her desk with the recent trade reports for Arendelle. With her head resting on one hand, she read with growing unease. Arendelle was a fortunate kingdom with many natural resources, but iron was not one of them. Since Elsa had come to power six months ago, she had realized the standing army for a kingdom of their size was much too small. Should Arendelle ever come under attack they would need soldiers, and soldiers needed weapons. Unfortunately the only kingdom willing to part with this precious metal in the amounts necessary was the relatively small empire of the Viscus Isles.

There was nothing wrong with the Viscus Isles per say, but Elsa had thoroughly disliked all the messengers and ambassadors she had dealt with over the last six months. They bore the mark of a kingdom recently formed, with much different customs than those of Arendelle.

Elsa sighed, thinking of the numerous sex slaves she had seen in possession of the King of the Viscus Isles. It was a terrible practice - one abolished by her family generations beforehand. Still, Arendelle needed the iron, so these less than ideal customs had to be overlooked.

A soft knock at the door of the study interrupted Elsa's thoughts.

"Your majesty? Ambassador Hans for the Viscus Isles is here..." The slight contempt in Kai's voice was extremely easy to hear, and Elsa immediately started to regret her invitation to the ambassador to stay the night.

"Coming, thank you," Elsa called, storing away her papers and quickly adjusting the crown on her head and the gloves on her hands. Her eyes strayed from her own reflection to the portrait of her parents hanging beside the mirror. She felt the tears building just looking at the painting, and the temperature dropped slightly in the room.

Elsa quickly shut down her feelings, wiping tears away and composing herself as she walked down the hallway. The last thing she needed to do was to show weakness - especially to men such as these. As she approached the Great Hall she heard the loud raucous voices. The ambassador was here all right, and he apparently had brought friends.

"I'm telling you - all these rules and customs make no sense to me! Just give me a good drink and a beautiful girl and I'd be the happiest man on earth!" Deep laughter echoed in the hallway, and Elsa entered to see Ambassador Hans leaning back in his chair with his boots up on the finely carved wood of the dining room table. She felt her blood curdle, attempting to control her anger despite the obvious insult. The ambassador, spotting the queen, stood quickly at attention and the three men also seated around the table followed his lead.

"Queen Elsa!" The ambassador bowed deep, striding forward to kiss her gloved hand. "It is lovely to see you." He gave her a warm smile, completely unaware of the annoyance seething within her.

"Ambassador Hans, it is my pleasure. I trust your journey was not too difficult?" Despite her feelings, Elsa's voice remained calm. She knew how much depended on this trade agreement, and the last thing she needed to do was anger the only trade partner willing to help Arendelle increase its defenses.

"No, not difficult at all! In fact, your staff have been more than helpful in serving our every need," Ambassador Hans said, stepping back towards his men and taking a seat. His men followed suit. Elsa flashed them all a stiff smile, resolving to give the staff a few days off after Ambassador Hans and his men took their leave.

"I am glad. The entire kingdom of Arendelle thanks you for making this journey to resolve our trade agreement." Elsa motioned to the nearest servant, who quickly presented the formal contract to Ambassador Hans. "I trust the conditions are sufficient? They are exactly what the king and I discussed."

Ambassador Hans carefully read over the settlement, taking a few moments and letting the Great Hall fall silent. Elsa shifted uncomfortably, her face still plastered with a smile. Finally, Ambassador Hans set down the agreement and grinned.

"This is perfect - the Viscus Isles would be more than pleased to agree to terms such as these!" He motioned to the man on his right-hand side, who quickly presented a quill and a royal seal. "Let us sign this contract and make the bonds between our two kingdoms official."

Elsa let out a breath she had no idea she had been holding, and moved to stand beside the ambassador. After both had signed their names, the contract was given both royal seals and taken away by one of Elsa's servants.

Ambassador Hans clapped in glee. "Now that the formalities are done, we can get to the fun part!" He jumped up from his seat, motioning to one of his men who quickly rose and exited the hall. Elsa looked at the man, perplexed.

"Fun part? I'm sorry, I'm confused."

Ambassador Hans chuckled. "Queen Elsa, in my kingdom it is customary to present the ruler of a new ally or trade partner with a gift. It is a signal of our good will towards the bond our kingdoms now share."

"While that's very kind of you, I assure you I need no gift." Elsa stuttered, flushing slightly.

Again the ambassador laughed. "Queen Elsa, this is one tradition our kingdom refuses to let go. Please, humor us."

Sensing the ambassador's unwavering commitment to this tradition, Elsa resigned to accept the gift and turned as she heard the Great Hall doors open. In strode the ambassador's man leading a young woman in chains.

Elsa's heart dropped into her stomach.

"A slave?"

Ambassador Hans smiled, striding over to the girl and tugging on her arm until she was right in front of the queen. "Not just any slave - a concubine. The best concubine in all of the Viscus Isles."

Elsa examined the girl with a deep sense of pity. She stood with her wrists in chains, and head bowed before the queen. The tunic she was dressed in was simple, and though clean it was torn and frayed. Her hair, cut to shoulder length, hung around her head like a curtain. In fact, it was almost impossible to see her face.

"I know that she may not exactly fit your tastes..." Ambassador Hans continued, releasing the girl's arm and taking a step towards the queen. "Yet the custom dictates that the King's favorite concubine must be presented as the gift. You see, we usually deal with kings and not queens, so this has never been an issue before."

Elsa closed her eyes for a moment, trying to decide the best course of action. She hated the practice of slavery - sexual slavery especially - but to refuse this "gift" could greatly harm the trade agreement she had just signed. Still unsure, Elsa opened her eyes and strode towards the girl, looking her up and down as though she may be interested. The young woman was thin - much too thin - and light bruises covered her arms.

Elsa noted the numerous amounts of freckles covering the girl's body, and was painfully reminded of her lost sister. This girl looked so much like Anna... how could she abandon her to the life of misery she was guaranteed in the Viscus Isles?

Elsa turned to see the ambassador admiring the slave girl with a poorly disguised look of lust. "I can attest to this one's skill. She was most useful on the journey here," he said in a low voice. Elsa nearly vomited.

"She is beautiful," Elsa agreed, trying to contain her disgust. Her feelings were only compounded by the fact that the young woman reminded her of her lost little sister. In fact, the more Elsa looked at her, the more she realized this young woman shared so many traits with Anna. The freckles, the brownish, reddish hair that Elsa had always had trouble properly describing, the small white streak of hair...

Elsa froze, staring hard at the streak of white. How had she not noticed it before? Her heart pounded, filled with both hope and fear. Could it be possible? Elsa gently lifted the chin of the young woman before her, and was met with the widest, tear-stained blue eyes she had ever seen in her life.

Anna.

The younger girl's eyes were filled with hope, and looked up at her older sister beseechingly. "Elsa?" she whispered, and the sound almost broke the older girl's heart.

Elsa nodded, biting her bottom lip and stepping backwards. She looked around at the ambassador and his men - four men who had violated the little sister she had fought so hard to protect. Four out of many... Elsa felt anger rising within her the likes of which she had never known, and the temperature in the room dropped drastically.

"Queen Elsa, is she of your liking?" Ambassador Hans asked through chattering teeth, glancing around in slight confusion and rubbing the sides of his arms. His breath was mist in the freezing room. Elsa looked over at him, trying to decide whether to answer him or impale him on an icicle. The latter would be more than fitting for a man who had harmed her Anna.

Though her rage was great, Elsa remembered the trade agreement she had signed, and the iron that Arendelle desperately needed. If she killed these men now, Arendelle would be defenseless to the vast armies of the Viscus Isles. With a deep breath Elsa buried deep all the anger and pain she felt for Anna and responded in the most even tone she could provide.

"She is perfect. Thank you for the gift." Elsa bowed her head, moving towards Anna and gently taking her arm. Anna flinched before relaxing into her sister's touch, and Elsa fought hard to control the anger that rose within her once more.

"Of course your majesty," Ambassador Hans said, bowing low and grinning slightly. "May she bring you as much pleasure as she did for us."

Elsa took a sharp breath as Anna shuddered slightly, and she flashed the ambassador a fake smile before taking the key for Anna's chains and moving towards the door.

"I'm sure she will. Now, if you'll excuse me. My staff will escort you to your rooms for the night whenever you desire."

"Queen Elsa, could you have your staff start a fire for us here in the Great Hall? It's freezing in here, but we would like to celebrate - even if you're too busy to join us." The way the word 'busy' rolled of the ambassador's tongue made Elsa drop the temperature in the room another couple of degrees, and she bowed her head slightly.

"Whatever you require, my staff will assist you," she assured, and without another glance Elsa led her sister away from the Great Hall and the men who had tormented her.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey guys! Back with another update. Hope you enjoy it! **

**I'm trying to update every 3-4 days with this story, so hopefully that trend keeps up. To be honest, seeing new reviews helps motivate me. So if you really want an update, feel free to go bug me in the review section! I love hearing your opinions. **

**Enjoy!**

**WARNING: Allusions to Sexual Assault ahead. Please do not read if it will trigger you.**

**-Totalgeek19**

Elsa stopped in the hallway only for a moment, quickly removing Anna's chains and pulling her into a deep hug. Anna remained stiff for a second before returning the gesture and resting her head on Elsa's shoulder.

"Oh Anna..." Elsa breathed, heart torn between happiness and sadness at the state of her sister. As she released the younger girl from the hug, she decided to try and be only happy about her sister's reappearance. She was alive - she was safe now. That was all that mattered.

Desperate to put as much distance between Ambassador Hans and Anna, Elsa took her sister's hand and led her straight to the royal chambers, which had once been their parents room. Once the door was safely shut and locked, Elsa turned back to the younger girl.

To her dismay Anna had knelt on the ground, head bowed and palms flat on her thighs. A submissive position. Elsa felt a familiar anger rising, and she closed the distance between them with a few small steps.

"Anna...please get up. You're safe now - no need to do that ever again." With a tender gaze she lifted Anna's head and looked straight into her eyes, tears welling up at the emptiness there. Anna regarded her with obvious disbelief, tilting her head to the side.

"Really? Never again?" the younger girl murmured, hope filling her eyes. Elsa nodded, smiling slightly and helping Anna off her feet. For a moment the princess stood frozen, as if unsure whether to accept it or not. Finally, she smiled, reaching out to cup Elsa's right cheek. "I can't believe it's you," she whispered.

Those blue eyes were brighter than Elsa remembered, and it occurred to her that she hadn't stood this close to her sister in fifteen years. She flushed slightly, looking away with a smile. "I can't believe you're alive."

Anna swallowed hard, letting her hand fall back to her side. A shadow crossed her face. "I can't believe I am either."

Elsa furrowed her brow, unsure of how to proceed. She had so many questions, but Anna looked so frail and tired. Questions could wait - right now Anna needed to relax. Within a moment Elsa thought of an answer, and once again she took Anna's hand and led her through the room and into the bathroom.

"Elsa," Anna asked, looking around in confusion. "What are you doing?" The queen did not reply, sitting her sister on the edge of the massive bathtub. With a quick movement she turned on the faucet and hot water began flowing into the basin.

"I'm setting you up for a bath," Elsa said simply. "I think it will help you feel better." The queen watched Anna carefully, gauging her reaction. A faint blush appeared on the younger girl's cheeks.

"O-Okay," Anna said, looking down at the warm water. "That does sound nice..."

Elsa smiled gently, turning the faucet off. "This is what I do whenever I need to relax, so hopefully it also helps you." Elsa turned to leave her sister to bathe when she felt a hand on her arm.

"Wait. Don't leave...please?" The pleading in Anna's voice was painful, and though Elsa thought it improper she couldn't help but stay.

"Okay," Elsa said, flashing her sister a comforting smile over her shoulder. "But get in the tub first and then I'll turn around." The queen waited as she heard the rustling of fabric and the splash of water.

"Okay," Anna called softly, and Elsa turned to see her sister sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees. The queen quickly noticed the bruises that covered Anna's arms also dotted her chest - a particularly nasty one still in full bloom on her collarbone. Elsa dug her nails into her palms, trying hard to keep her feelings under control for Anna's sake. The queen moved towards the tub, sitting on the edge and examining her bruises closer. "They're mostly from the journey here," Anna said quietly. Elsa's eyes snapped up to meet her sister's, searching for pain and instead finding emptiness. "It actually wasn't that bad," the younger girl commented. "They had to be gentle with me because they were giving me to a royal."

Elsa closed her eyes, biting her lip to keep the temperature from dropping. Controlling her powers during this may be more difficult than she thought. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you," she said, eyes still closed.

A hand brushed against her leg, and Elsa opened her eyes to see Anna smiling sadly up at her. "You're here now. That's what matters." Elsa nodded, taking Anna's hand in hers and squeezing hard before releasing it. Anna looked apologetically as the glove was left damp. "Sorry - I kind of forgot you always wear gloves." Elsa smiled nervously.

"It's not a problem, really. Now you should relax and enjoy your bath before it gets cold," she chided gently. Anna nodded, the blush reappearing as she busied herself with washing her body. Elsa stared for a moment before tearing her gaze away, a deep sense of guilt appearing in her chest.

"Elsa?" Anna asked quietly after a few moments of silence. The queen looked back to see her sister scrubbing the last of the shampoo out of her hair. "Do you mind washing my back for me? I can never reach."

Elsa froze for a moment, weighing the options. Refusing would probably make Anna feel rejected, but agreeing meant taking off her gloves and touching another person for the first time in forever. Could she really handle that?

Elsa tuned back into reality to see Anna looking her way with that signature pout that had decided so much of their childhood. For a moment Elsa forgot that they had been separated for so many years, that she had thought Anna dead, and that all the responsibility of Arendelle rested on her shoulders. She was just a child again, as helpless to say no to her baby sister now as she had been then.

"Okay," Elsa finally responded, removing her gloves before she could over think her decision too much. Anna smiled wide, handing her the soap and turning so Elsa could better reach her back. Her smile had so distracted the older girl that she felt the marks before she saw them.

The queen ran her fingers over her sister's back, appalled at the rough lines marring the soft skin. She quickly retracted her touch, eyes widening as she noticed the zig-zag pattern of large scars that covered Anna's back.

Anna looked over her shoulder in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"Your scars," Elsa said quietly, running a single finger over the rough lines. "What happened?"

Anna bit her bottom lip, shoulders hunching at the memory. "They're lash marks. From punishments I was given." Her body shuddered slightly. "Most of those are old. I had..." Anna trailed off, obviously searching for the right word. "...trouble. Adjusting to my new role that is." Anna's voice had taken on a bitter hint of sarcasm. "They told me it was foolish to fight. That I should lie back and take it. I disagreed." Anna bowed her head, shoulders lowering in defeat. "They were right of course."

Elsa let go of the breath she had been holding, jumping slightly when she realized her exhale was mist in the freezing room. She quickly removed her hands from Anna's back, freezing the suds that stuck to her skin. The queen stumbled back in fear, realizing she was starting to lose control.

"Elsa?" Anna turned, hands wrapped around herself in an attempt to keep warm. She looked upon Elsa with stunned confusion as ice spread from the queen's feet.

Elsa continued to back away, deathly afraid of the way her powers now consumed her constraint. She bit her bottom lip hard, desperately trying to regain control of her emotions as the ice grew across the ground and up the walls. Nothing she tried worked, and her powers spun out of control until she spotted the ice slowing snaking it's way up the side of the tub. Elsa locked eyes with her sister, who stared at her with eyes wide with surprise and wonder, and at once Elsa clamped down on her emotions. The ice stopped its growth, and once the queen registered that the danger had passed she slumped back against the wall.

"Elsa...what just happened?"

Anna's voice interrupted Elsa's moment of reprieve, and the queen looked up to see her sister's look of disbelief. Her secret was exposed.


End file.
